He also gives me Painting and Sculpture of A Decade: 54 - 64. It is the catalogue of an exhibition at the Tate Gallery (April to June 1964) organised by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which, I realise as I make this page, originates in Portugal. Of more interest at the time is the painting on page 47.

Smitten with Austenmania, I reserve special esteem for Mansfield Park. To find influences I scour Fisher Library's history and eighteenth-century fiction holdings.

One day while travelling to work on the Northern Line, in either 2003 or 2004, I see a man, who looks to be Indian, reading a novel. Thus begins my acquaintance with the work of Haruki Murakami. In 2004, I see and enjoy the movies Somersault (with the gorgeous Abbie Cornish) and Peaches (with a fey Emma Lung).

In December 2005, I buy another unit, this time in Sydney's inner west.

At the old alma mater, in 2006 I enrol part-time in media practice (average 80.8 for the first four units of study towards a master's degree).

I submit an assignment in April 2006 for MECO 6914, 'Making Magazines', a unit which I enjoy (final grade: D). For an assignment I submit in September 2006 for another unit I enjoy, 'Literary Journalism', I get a mark of 90 (final grade for the unit: HD).

In September 2006, dad sends me a CD-ROM containing his memoir, titled 'Growing'. Dated 2002, it contains 135 pages of single-spaced text. Another CD-ROM is dated February 2006 and titled 'Family Tree'. It contains five Microsoft Excel spreadsheets naming descendants of progenitors named Beilby, Shaughnessy, Dean, MacGugan, da Silva, and Caldicott.

Photos:

• My local area (8 shots).
• My local area at night (8 shots).
• The Domain (9 shots).
• Parramatta Road, Stanmore (9 shots).
• Art galleries in Sydney (11 shots).
• King Street, Newtown (6 shots).
• Crystal Street, Petersham, and Canterbury Road, Petersham and Dulwich Hill (14 shots).
• Marlowe Street, Campsie (21 shots)

Friends:

• Antony Talone
• Andre Righini
• Paola Sergi
• Dena Pezet
• Mingming Feng
• Sawsan Zumot

For much of 2005 to 2008 I read two broadsheets and view four free-to-air newscasts daily, and I also subscribe to Al Jazeera English. In 2006, I start blogging at 'Happy Antipodean'. Book reviews are still posted regularly and are common fare from the blog's inception. It's an omnivorous diet for the reader, and draws from my immediate interests. If there's no book or movie review, I might post about journalism or politics.

I complete a masters degree (Master of Media Practice) and graduate in May 2008. Study undertaken and completed in addition to my masters degree focuses on technical writing and journalism.

In June 2009 I am on the way to visit mum in Queensland. While at the motel in Glen Innes, I get a phone call from the hospital because she fell and broke her cheekbone. I decide after much inner questioning to move from Sydney to be able to assist her in her life. I move into an apartment near the beach and start writing stories for publication. My dream is to be a feature writer.

Date range	Stories published 1	Word count 2	Cumulative story count	Cumulative word count
1 Jul 2009 - 30 Sep 2009	2	1867	2	1867
1 Oct 2009 - 30 Dec 2009	4	4759	6	6626
1 Jan 2010 - 30 Mar 2010	8	11,557	14	18,183
1 Apr 2010 - 30 Jun 2010	5	4565	19	22,748
1 Jul 2010 - 30 Sep 2010	5	4739	24	27,487
1 Oct 2010 - 30 Dec 2010	tba	tba	tba	tba

Notes to table:

1. A story is added to the total number for a date range only after it has been published.
2. Word count means the total number of words published for a date range. It includes the story's intro and the main text of the story only.